Inside the Redzone (D4) – Quarterfinals

 

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR! Triple Sixers, Gators, FOTC and Warriors round up the final four and all of these remaining teams are considered to be contenders. Therefore, it has been safe to say that so far the strongest have survived. Do the Gators and FOTC have a chance to upset the favorites or will they fall flat on their faces as so many expect? I can honestly say I don’t see an upset happening this weekend, no disrespect to Gators or Flight Of The Concords. I’ll break down the semifinals in a little bit. We are one week away from reaching the ultimate stage of Winter 2010 Division 4 season and I for one am looking forward to a Triple Sixers vs. Warriors, part deux! (editor’s note: way to cheer for the underdogs, Rehan!)

 

Final Four

 

(1) Triple Sixers vs. (4) Gators

Season series: Triple Sixers won 38-34

 

Triple Sixers: Karim Chaoual has gotten off to slower starts than usual as of late, but so far it hasn’t come back to haunt them. So this could mean two things: one, they are a team who like to analyze their opponent, adjust to them, and go ahead; or two, they have been VERY lucky. Regardless, all the guns will need to be blazing this weekend. If the Triple Sixers play to their potential, they’re in the finals.

 

Key match up: J.F Marcotte vs. Jeff Chabot

 

Gators: Kevin Marlowe was only 5 points away from beating the Triple Sixers earlier in the season so has he learned enough to make sure the outcome is different this time? Also the Gators can’t forget that in their first meeting, Triple Sixers’ had a back up QB under center. Having said that, Gators will need to make sure each player fulfills their role at top speed to even have a chance in this game. Somehow, I do see the Gators having the right mixture of players to keep up with the Triple Sixers but anything less than a flawless performance will send the Gators packing.

 

Key match up: Shawn Haney vs. Patrick Jerome

 

Prediction: The Triple Sixers firepower on offense and defense is too much for the Gators to handle. Karim Chaoual is looking more comfortable than ever and if he puts up a prayer to Patrick Jerome, I don’t see anyone on the Gators team stopping him (if you’re not sure about how high Patrick Jerome can jump, ask some of the Click Clack defenders in D2).

 

Winner: Triple Sixers

 

(1) Warriors vs. (4) Flight Of The Concords

Season series: Warriors won 41-7

 

Warriors: They are continuing to dominate, as we all knew they would, however the only thing can cost them now is arrogance, complacency or cockiness. Some of the players have been in this situation in the last two Winter seasons and didn’t make the finals. Therefore they understand the importance of staying focused and not taking anything for granted. Of note: Snapper Danny Roy will not be present this weekend, meaning the Warriors will need to shuffle some players around on offence.

 

Key match up: Norman Weekes vs. Vadim Chernyak

 

FOTC: Jonathan Lemieux is playing a lot better than I had thought he would and for that he deserves a lot of credit. Furthermore, the whole team is coming together as a unit and silencing the critics who didn’t they would be this successful without Marvin Renaud. Now they’re in a David vs. Goliath situation and they’ll need their chemistry more than ever to pull them through. All the FOTC players can’t hold anything back now; the stage is set and they have the opportunity to make some serious noise.

 

Key match up: FOTC defense vs. Nicky McGuire, Craig O’Brien and Dean Demetrio.

 

Prediction: The experience and intensity of the Warriors’ veterans will be tough to overcome. Every FOTC player needs to play a perfect game and that will keep them in the game but won’t be enough to win. Needless to say that losing to the Warriors is nothing to be ashamed of.

 

Winner: Warriors

 

 

ALL-STARWAR SQUAD

 

These are the toughest SOBs in Division 4. They are versatile, intense and can play football on both sides of the ball. This squad will take on any team, any time, anywhere. Players who play or are successful in higher divisions will not get consideration.

 

Quarterback

 

Norman Weekes (Warriors) – He has been the best QB thus far through out the season and playoffs. He scored close to 40 points per game in the regular season and the over 40 points per game in the playoffs. With experience and accuracy, he can definitely dissect a defense when he has to.

 

Snapper

 

J.F. Marcotte (Triple Sixers) – He had 53 receptions, 448 yards and 15 TDs in the regular season. He is one of Karim Chaoual’s prime targets, which is a compliment in itself. He snaps well, runs great routes and has hands like glue. He can hang on to a ball in traffic and is called upon to make clutch plays in the red zone. Defensively, he had a pick six and ten tackles, therefore he can counted upon to make some plays.

 

Utilities

 

Pascal Tshilambo (Served With Ice) – He is a monster on the field. He talks the talk and walks the walk. He won the defensive player of the year with 11 interceptions so we know he can play some defense but what about offense? He had close to 500 receiving yards and 9 TDs. He is an all round player but more importantly, he is a leader who does whatever it takes to make a play and win.

 

Alex Girard (Flight Of The Concords) – The recent success of FOTC is in large part due to Mr. Girard. He gets the job done on both sides of the ball. On offense he is often overlooked by the opposing defense and he shows them why he should be respected. On defense, he is a ball hawk and he attacks and challenges the QB at all times. A quiet performer who can be known as a silent assassin.

 

Jeff Chabot (Gators) – He won the receiver of the year with numbers like 51 receptions, 696 yards and 15 TDs so he can definitely play offense but what about defense? He had 37 tackles, 4 interceptions and 9 passes defended. He is having a tremendous season and is looked upon by the Gators to make big plays.

 

Chris St-Francois (BOOM! Goes The Dynamite) – The man known as the raw and immortal BEAST. We knew he was tearing it up on defense but he can also play offense as he had over 300 yards receiving and 7 TDs. A total of 19 sacks in ten games is absolutely ridiculous but having those types of abilities definitely makes him versatile.

 

 

What Now?

 

Served With Ice – In their rookie season, they made the post-season and even won a playoff game. They play with heart and intensity but lacked consistency. However, they were only a couple of points away from advancing to the semifinals which shows their great progress. Jordan Panetta, Gabriel Marcoux and Pascal Tshilambo are great leaders for this team hailing from the John Abbot Islanders program and will lead to them many future successful seasons.

 

Marauders – They had a slow start to the season but finished stronger. You could say that a loss to the Warriors was inevitable because they’re too strong for any team in Division 4. Some of the players felt that if it wasn’t for Warriors or Triple Sixers, they would be the main contenders. Having said that, Marauders will take the spring season off and return stronger than ever in Winter 2011 in a Division 4 that won’t have the Triple Sixers or Warriors.

 

X-Men – Similar to other rookie teams, they had a great run and pulled a huge upset in the first round of playoffs. On offense they do a great job being efficient with their passing plays and are extremely systematic. On defense, they actually did a decent job and with more FPF experience down the road, they’ll be even better. They have a lot of tenacity and the hunger to be competitive for many seasons. I expect a great season in the D Division of the Spring league.

 

Snookers – I honestly believe they did the best they could with who they have on their roster. Allowing 41 points on defense against the Gators is disappointing because their offense will not score 40+ points very often, especially against the better teams in Division 4. I will actually advise them to work on their defense in the off-season because it is and usually was their biggest strength, and think about adding some extra depth.

 

In next week’s article I will announce the categories for STAR-AWARDS so everyone has one week to vote and in two week’s time, I’ll announce the winners. Good luck to the final four this weekend, only two of out of four will really need it. That’s it for this week’s column. As usual if you have any comments/suggestions, email me at [email protected]. I leave you with the following quote:

 

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.” – Vince Lombardi